Author : Saysamone Phothisat

Summary : In Malaysia, Hopea odorata Roxb. and Hopea pubescens Ridl. have the local names of Merawan siput jantan and Merawan bunga, respectively; while in Laos, their local names are Mai khen heua and Mai khen respectively. H. odorata is fairly widely distributed in evergreen forests from mainland Southeast Asia to the Andamand islands, Borneo and the Philippines islands, while H. pubescens is only endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. Both species belong to the Dipterocarpaceae, and are commercially important timbers. This project initially focused on the density, distribution, response to light of seedlings under forest canopy, seedling mortality and growth of H. pubescens. The project then focused on the influenced of seed size on cumulative percentage germination and early growth of H. odorata seedlings under different light regimes in the nursery.